President Sirleaf Congratulates India on 71st Independence Anniversary; Republic of Congo on 56th Independence Anniversary
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a message of congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of India on the occasion commemorating the 71st Independence Anniversary.
August 15 is observed annually as India’s national day commemorating the nation’s independence from the British Empire in 1947. India attained independence following an Independence Movement noted for largely nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress (INC).
Independence coincided with the partition of India, in which the British Indian Empire was divided along religious lines into the Dominions of India and Pakistan; the partition was accompanied by violent riots and mass casualties, and the displacement of nearly 15 million people due to sectarian violence.
On August 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had become the first Prime Minister of India that day, raised the Indian national flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, in the message to her Indian counterpart, H.E. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, the Liberian President extended sincere felicitations to the Government and people of India on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia and in her own name.
President Sirleaf looked forward to strengthening the excellent ongoing bilateral cooperation between the two countries for the mutual benefits of our two peoples as we work together in furtherance of peace, security and economic integration.
She prayed President Mukherjee will continue to be endowed with abundant wisdom and strength as he leads his compatriots to greater prosperity.
In a related development, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a message of congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Congo on the occasion marking their 56thIndependence Anniversary.
August 15 is celebrated annually by the Republic of Congo in commemoration of the day it gained its independence from France in 1960.
In her message to His Excellency Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, President Sirleaf, on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia and in her own name, extended warmest felicitations and best wishes on the occasion the 56th Independence celebration.
“It is our fervent prayers that the Almighty God will endow Your Excellency with abundant wisdom and strength to lead your compatriots to greater prosperity,” President Sirleaf prayed.
